Cigar machine



Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 llllllllll Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 HENRY H. WHEELER W ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 FIG. 3

H. H. WHEELER 2,956,567

CIGAR MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 3 E: .llll

INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER 2,956,567

CIGAR MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 18 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG 4 6 J2 J7 5 1 53 50 46 45 44 I 85- @2- H A A 0 it? I I J4rJJr Zr 7 4% a7 86 55 E I 3 2L 5/1. 5; 44c I l III! INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER ATTOR EY Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 18 Sheets-Sheet 6 Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 26. 1946 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR H NRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 m6 w 60mm m WNW Gm QE Q Omw R E L H w i R I WW mm MR mm m vw 6 mm WWW iimfi i we mv mum Q. i I 1m." m8 -fif Id m3 SN R QNNEN 3N om MON mww mvm @NN ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER 2,956,567

CIGAR MACHINE Original Filed NOV. 26, 1946 s t s t 9 e ee INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER &

ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER 2,956,567

CIGAR MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 18 sheets-Sheet 10 FIG.IO

5 4 INVENTOR 407 HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER 2,956,567

CIGAR MACHINE Original Filed NOV. 26, 1946 18 eet 11 lll INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE 18 Sheets-Sheet 12 Original Filed Nov. 26. 1946 1/////Y mwwwy ATTORNEY INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER 18 Sheets-3 u v m iv 20 u E km Q R H mm A E H H. H. WHEELER C IGAR MACHINE.

Oct. 18, 1960 Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 i 9 LL Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 \IQW WWW IOWW $Qm Pam 0 WWW o vbm i Q M:

INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER 2,956,567

CIGAR MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 18 Sheets-Sheet I 5 lzl lzi I'IIIII' INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER BYQ ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 H; H. WHEELER 2,956,567

CIGAR MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 18 Sheets-Sheet 16 CD BYMM ATTORNEY H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE Oct. 18, 1960 1.8 Sheets-Sheet 17 Original Filed Nov. 26, 1946 WMV NN QE INVENTOR HENRY H. WHEELER BY ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 H. H. WHEELER CIGAR MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 18 Original Filed Nov. 26. 1934s vmdE mmdc United States Patent CIGAR MACHINE Henry H. Wheeler, Bellerose, N.Y., assignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey Original applications Nov. 26,-1946,-"Ser. No. 712,456, now Patent No. 2,667,173, dated Jan. 26, 1954, and Ser. No. 359,752, May 19, 1953, now Patent No. 2,805,665',-dated Sept. 10,1957. Divided and this application June 27, 1957, Ser. No. 668,551

18 Claims. (Cl. 131-21) This invention relates to cigar machines, more particu larly to hydraulically operated cigar machines.

This application is a divisional of my co-pending application, Serial No. 359,752 filed May 19, 1953, now Patent No; 2,805,665 issued September 10, 1957, which wasitself a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 712,456 filed November 26, 1946, now Patent No. 2,667,173 issued January 26, 1954.

One of the main objects of the invention is to simplify the construction of cigar machines and reduce their weight and cost. Since my machine has no heavy and expensive cams, there is a considerable reduction in cost and weight. Other savings in weight and cost are obtained by elimination of shafts for supporting the cams, elimination of frames for supporting the cam shafts, elimination of gears, and elimination of driving connections. Accordingly, my machine may have a weight approximately one-half the weight of prior cigar machines and its cost may be considerably less.

Due to the fact that the various units of my machine are supported upon a single table, and are rearranged to save space, my machine occupies approximately five-eighths of the floor space required for a previous type of machine.

The various units of my cigar machine, except the operating mechanisms of the wrapper applying mechanism and the control mechanism for the cigar re-rolling mechanism, may be operated by separate fluid-operated devices controlled by fluid delivered under pressure from a source of fluid under pressure such as a hydraulic pump. Since the various units of the cigar machine are operated by separate fluid-operated devices, thereis considerably less danger of injury of the attendant by moving parts. With separate fluid-operated devices for actuating the various units the forces impartedto the moving parts to operate the same are of such a controlled and limited magnitude that no injury to the attendant will result from manual obstruction thereof, except in the case of the crimper jaws.

With mechanically driven units, which are now used on cigar machines, the moving parts may injure the attendant if obstructed; because the momentum of the entire machine must be overcome to stop any moving part which is obstructed. Although mechanism for stopping the entire machine has been heretofore provided to prevent injury in the event any of its parts are manually obstructed, the momentum of the considerable weight of the moving parts of a mechanically driven cigar machine prevents instantaneous stoppage. To obtain the same degree of safety on a mechanically driven cigar machine as on my machine a safety device would be required for most units, which would be complicated and expensive.

While the wrapper transfer mechanism and the wrapper applying mechanism of my hydraulically operated machine are mechanically driven for reasons of simplicity due to the inherent intricacy of hydraulic mechanisms for this purpose, it is preferable to provide an automatic device for disconnecting the operating mechanism of the "ice wrapper transfer from its mechanical drive'when the movement of the wrapper transfer is obstructed. A fur.- therobject of the invention, therefore, is'to providean automatic safety device for this purpose.

Another object is to provide a simplified mechanism for forming cigar bunches from bunch charges separated from a compacted tobaccocolumn produced by assembling bunch length sections severed from the stream of fillertobacco advanced in the filler feed channel." To this end the bu'nch rolling apron may be raised to support the lower end of the column while a bunch charge is being cut from the lower end of thelcolumn, and the apron is then lowered and the bunch charge is rolled'upon itself within a loop of the apron and rolled Within a binder to form a cigar bunch. Heretofore, it was necessary to move the bunch charge'afte'r separation from'the column,

on to the bunch rolling apron with the possibility of disturbing the tobacco in the bunch charge.

Still another object of the invention is to improve the operation of the mechanism for intermittently feeding the continuous layer -or stream of. filler tobacco into the column-forming means. On prior cigar machine's, when the continuous stream of tobacco was advanced: in the filler feed channel into the column-forming means for severance of bunch'length' sections from its leading end, detectable variations in the length of the severed sections resulted from variations in the mass or load of the filler tobacco in the filler feed channel. Since the filler tobacco in the filler feed channel is laid therein manually by the attendant, there may be considerable variations in the amount of the same. As a result, I believe, the friction created against the side belts, which'are backed up by rigid plates, by the portion of 'the'tobacco stream which is compacted by the compactor will vary considerably; This causes more or less springing in the motivatingmembers driving the beltsand a variation-in the charge of bunch length; In a'cam operated machine it is'not always possible to eliminate springing, as the cams are often some distance from the point where force is applied. In a hydraulic mechanism it is possible to obtain motion of the belts without springing asthe hydraulic motor can be so placed that no springing is possible; Thus, bunch length sections of more uniform length will be severed for assemblage into a column from which'the bunch charges are separated.

In prior machines of the type wherein bunch charges Were separated from a vertical tobacco column formed by superimposing bunch length sections, the column was compacted by a compactorengaging the upper end of the column and mounted on a reciprocable member and pressed against the top of the tobacco column by acornpression spring. When the height of'the tobacco column varied due to delivery thereto of bunchlength sections of varying thickness, the spring urgingthe' compactor against the column was compressed to a greater" or lesser extent and the density of the .tobacco column varied Vat least-to some extent in accordance with its height. Therefore, cigar bunch charges varying somewhat in density density of the compacted tobacco column from whichthe bunch charges are separated; For thispurpose'themember compacting the tobacco-column-is hydraulically op erated by connecting it to the pistonrod of a hydraulic: The hydraulic cylinder is provided with'lim strumentalitie's for maintaining anunvaried 'fluidpressure cylinder.

on the piston of the hydraulic cylinder to maintainthe: pressure applied-to the tobacco column constant and thereby permit bunch charges of uniform density to' b e" separated from" the tobacco column-b Without'suchinstrumentalities the pressure applied to the tobacco column would vary in accordance with the resistance of the column up to a maximumpressure determined by the pressure of the fluidsupplied to the hydraulic cylinder. I Still another objectof the invention is to permit variation of the pressure applied to the tobacco column for compaction thereof. The instrumentalities referred to are manually adjustable to regulate the pressure applied to the tobacco column.

, If desired, the cutter for severing the bunch length sections may be integral with the compactor for the tobacco column. In this case the instrumentalities for regulating the pressure in the hydraulic cylinder may be constructed to apply a greater pressure to the piston in the hydraulic cylinder during the severance of the bunch length section and then reduce the pressure applied thereto during the compaction of the tobacco column.

, A further object of the invention is to provide simplified mechanism for forming the loop in the apron. The rider plate forms a part of this mechanism and serves the dual purpose of forming a loop in the apron and holding down the bunch charge while it is being spirally rolled upon itself as the loop is advanced along the bunch rolling table. As the loop is farther advanced along the bunch rolling table the rolled bunch charge is rolled within a binder previously positioned on the rolling apron to form a cigar bunch.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simplified mechanism for crimping or permanently shaping the ends of the cigar bunch, the bunch being delivered to this mechanism from the bunch rolling apron. In this connection, a further object of the invention is to hydr-aulically operate the bunch crimping mechanism. In prior mechanically operated crimper mechanisms, breakage of the cam levers operating the same resulted from accumulation of several cigar bunches in the crimper jaws due to failure of the bunch transfer to remove the same. With my hydraulically operated crimper mechanism the crimper jaws will not close sufliciently to cause breakage when several bunches accumulate therein, because the motion thereof will be stopped when the presence of several bunches in the crimper jaws provides a resistance which exceeds the force applied by hydraulic pressure to the crimping mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to axially locate the cigar bunch after it is delivered from the bunch rolling apron. Due to accumulation of paste on portions of the rolling apron after its rubber coating has worn 01f the operation of the apron may be sufficiently affected to displace the cigar bunch axially from the position in which it should be delivered prior to being transferred to the crimper mechanism. To assure proper location of the bunch axially there is provided mechanism for displacing the cigar bunch into the proper axial position either toward its head end or its tuck end after it is delivered from the rolling apron and before it is transferred to the crimper mechanism.

The various bunch transfers for transporting the cigar bunch to the various mechanisms and the cigar transfer for transferring the cigar from the wrapper-applying device to the re-rolling mechanism, are hydraulically operated. Therefore, if obstructed, manually or otherwise, their motion will be stopped and they can be reset to the proper position by stops arranged to engage them at the ends of their strokes. However, if either the cigar transfer or the bunch transfer for transporting the bunch to the wrapper-applying mechanism from the crimper mechanism should be obstructed and displaced from their proper positions, they will collide with the mechanism for operating the wrapper transfer. It is still another object of the invention to prevent damage to the same by stopping the motor driving the machine in the event these transfers are obstructed and displaced from their proper positions.

y In the case of the re-rolling mec anism a Luther obj of the invention is to arrange the re-rolling drum in a position wherein it can be readily removed. For this purpose, the re-rolling drum is hydraulically operated. The use of hydraulic mechanism permits arrangement of the drum in a. position facing the outside of the machine. Therefore, the drum can be readily removed.

With these and'other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations which will be hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts.

For conveniently locating the different figures of the drawings on the various sheets, reference may be had to the following list of the figures of the drawings and the sheets whereon they appear:

Fig. 1 Sheet #1 Fig. 2 Sheet #2 Fig. 3 Sheet #3 Figs. 4, S, 6, 25, 26 Sheet #4 Fig. 7 Sheet #5 Fig. 8 Sheet #6 Figs. 1A, 1B, 8A, 8B, 8H Sheet #7 Figs. 80, SD, 8E, 8F, 8G Sheet #8 'Fig. 9 "Sheet #9 Fig. 10 Sheet #10 Figs. 10A, 11, 12 Sheet #11 Fig. 13 Sheet #12 Figs. 14, 15 Sheet #13 Figs. 16, 17 Sheet #14 Figs. 18, 27 Sheet #15 Fig. 19 Sheet #16 Figs. 20, 21, 22 Sheet #17 Figs. 23, 24 Sheet #18 Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hydraulic cigar machine exemplifying my invention and showing in their proper position relative to each other all main components or assemblies which are visible above the table of the cigar machine;

Figs. 1A and 1B are sectional and end elevation views, respectively, of the safety device through which the wrapper-applying device is driven from the motor driving the hydraulic pump;

Fig. 2 is a perspective plan view of all those components or assemblies which might be seen below the table if said table were transparent. This view is given mainly to illustrate the main hydraulic circuit and shows the suction lines as well;

. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the master valve housing taken in a slightly inclined postion thereof and showing its general external appearance with certain portions of housing cut away'to expose certain valves, the sam shaft, and one of the cams controlling the valves;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the master valve housing with certain portions of the housing cut away in order to expose certain valves and the cam operating the same;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one of the valves taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the master valve housing on line 66 of Fig. 4;

' Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the filler feed showing a portion of the bunch rolling table and the hydraulic circuits for same, certain portions thereof being broken away;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bunch rolling table showing the hydraulic circuits for operating the various parts thereof, certain portions thereof being broken away;

Figs. 8A and 8B are sectional views of the hydraulic motor operating the bunch rolling apron and showing the motor in two different positions;

Figs. Q to 8G inclusive,.are detail side elevations 

